Althea Thomas completes the Purdue track staff that brought in five new coaches this season.

Dave Hartman joined the Purdue staff in August 2012 after spending a season as an assistant track and field coach at Lamar University. He is in charge of men's and women's cross country and the track and field distance groups.

In his season at Lamar, Hartman helped develop elite middle-distance and distance runners for the track and field program. He helped bring in elite talent for the middle distance and distance groups. Hartman coached seven Southland Conference track and field individual champions in just his one season.

Prior to his time with the Cardinals, Hartman spent three years as the head track and field and cross country coach at the University of Texas Pan America.

Hartman also has extensive coaching experience in the Southeastern Conference, Big XII, as well as the Southland Conference. From 2004-08, Hartman was the cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at the University of Georgia. He recruited elite athletes from across the country. With the Bulldogs, Hartman coached the 2006 SEC women's indoor and outdoor track and field champions. He also coached four NCAA qualifying women's cross country teams with Georgia as well as one men's team qualifier. In 2006, Hartman led the Bulldog women's cross country team to win the NCAA South Regional. While at Georgia, he coached a total of 10 SEC Conference individual champions.

From 1998-2004, Hartman was the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Texas A&M University. While coaching the Aggies, three men's cross country teams and one women's team qualified for the NCAA Championships. Hartman also helped lead the men's outdoor track and field team to win the 2001 Big XII Championships. The new Boilermaker coach also guided his 2000 women's cross country team to win the Women's South Central Region. In all with the Aggies, Hartman coached 12 Big XII Conference champions and 85 All-Conference selections during his six year stint.

Hartman also coached at the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1996-98. There, he was the cross country coach and assistant track and field coach. Hartman coached one men's NCAA qualifying cross country team as well as the 1997 Southland Conference women's outdoor track and field champions. In his two years with the Roadrunners, Hartman coached eight Southland Conference champions and 30 All-Conference selections.

The list of accomplishments for Hartman also includes coaching six WICCCA Academic All-American cross country teams. He also coached 21 All-American cross country and track and field selections. Hartman was named the 2007 USTFCCCA East Region Men's Distance Coach of the Year. He also earned the 2006 USTFCCCA East Region Women's Assistant Distance Coach of the Year as well as the USTFCCCA South Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. In 2000, Hartman earned the NCAA South Central Region Women's Cross Coach of the Year award. He also was named the 1997 Southland Conference Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year. Hartman was also the WICCCA South Region representative from 2004-08 and the men's United States Cross Country Coaches Association Region representative from 2000-04.

Prior to his coaching days, Hartman was a cross country runner at Villanova University from 1991-94. He was an All-American in 1992 and was a part of the team that finished fourth at the NCAA Cross Country Championship that year. In 1993, he helped lead the Wildcats to win the Big East Cross Country Championship. Later, Hartman would attend the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1994-96 where he would earn his degree in English. Hartman was a seven-time Southland Conference Champion in cross country and track and field.

Hartman is married to his wife, Carla Dewey Hartman. The couple has two children, Julien (4), and Sascha (1).